Ken Ofori-Atta. INSET: Nana Akufo-Addo
MEMBERS OF the Majority Caucus in Parliament have agreed to stand down on their demand for President Nana Akufo-Addo to sack the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, until conclusion of negotiations with International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The caucus has also acceded to the President’s appeal to allow the two ministers to be at post until the presentation of the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government to Parliament in November, 2022, and subsequent passage of the Appropriation Bill, after which time the demand shall be acted upon.
The Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in a statement dated October 26, 2022, said the decision was arrived at a meeting held by members of the caucus.
“Following the Press Conference held on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 by some Members of the Majority Caucus in Parliament demanding removal of the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Charles Adu Boahen from office, the President engaged members of the caucus and requested that the issue be stood down until the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the presentation of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy in November, 2022 and the subsequent passage of the Appropriation Bill, after which time the demand shall be acted upon,” the statement read.
“After deliberations among the Majority Caucus today Wednesday, October 26, 2022, it was agreed to accede to the President’s appeal,” the statement stressed.
Background
Some members of the NPP Majority Caucus on Tuesday called for the sacking of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, threatening to boycott the 2023 Budget reading in Parliament if their demand was not met.
Spokesperson for the NPP MPs, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi said, “We members of the Majority Caucus of Parliament have had occasions to defend allegations of conflict of interest, lack of confidence, and trust against leadership of our Finance Ministry.”
According to him, recent developments within the Ghanaian economy are of “great concern to the greater majority of members of our caucus and our constituents.”
“We have made our grave concern to the President through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response,” Mr. Appiah-Kubi, who is the NPP MP for Asante-Akim North, stated.
Flanked by his colleagues, he said they were using the press conference to communicate their strong desire for the President to immediately reshuffle the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry without further delay in order to “restore hope into the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy.”
“The summary of our concern leads to a plea that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen be removed from office,” he stressed.
He continued, “We pray that this prayer will be carried to the presidency,” while serving notice that should President Akufo-Addo fail to remove the two from office, they as members of the Majority Caucus would not participate in any business of government by or for the President by any other minister.
“We hope that those of us at the back bench and members of the Majority Caucus will abide by this prayer. We are saying that if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing and will not participate in the debate,” Mr. Appiah-Kubi insisted.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House